By God’s good grace Mars Hill Church was able to finish 2007 above budget for the eleventh year in a row. We want to take this opportunity to publicly praise Jesus for his provision and thank the body of Mars Hill for their continued faithfulness and generosity. Paul aptly describes our sentiments in 2 Corinthians 9:10-15, where he concludes a train of thought on giving and generosity by saying, "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" We want to echo that and thank Jesus that He is the head of the church, He is the savior of the church and, ultimately, He is the faithful provider of all things for the church. Thank you Jesus! Pastor Mark gave a brief preliminary year end financial report in his sermon on January 6, which served as a follow up on his December 16 message, "Joy in Poverty (Philippians 4:10–23)," where he outlined our financial situation as a church. In mid December, our giving had fallen behind, but by the end of the month we had made up our deficit and finished the year with a surplus. As we move into 2008 and follow the opportunities Jesus has laid before us it will continue to take a great number of us sharing the blessing and responsibility of giving and serving together so that we can continue to see further life transformation. Here is a detailed recap of 2007: Giving Note: The Giving and Budget numbers listed here are for calendar years; our fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Our normal mode of reporting runs on the fiscal year, but we have adjusted these reports to reflect the calendar year for the sake of this year-in-review update.

• 2007 General Fund Giving – $9,347,195
• 2006 General Fund Giving – $6,610,097
• 2007 Average General Giving Per Adult –$1,948
• 2006 Average General Giving Per Adult –$1,644

Mars Hill is 100 percent supported by the tithes and offerings of the individuals who make up our church body. In our eleven-year history our tithing has grown by approximately 60 percent annually. As you could imagine, this growth is both exciting and humbling—and it presents many challenges in planning. Our weekly attendance has averaged 6,700 people over the first three Sunday’s of 2008.

• 2007 Building Fund Giving – $860,082

In 2007 Mars Hill purchased a piece of property in downtown Seattle, a former nightclub that will be home to our Downtown Campus, coming soon. All building fund monies are designated for real estate purchases and building improvements. Number Of Donors

• 2007 Unique Donor Households – 4464
• 2006 Unique Donor Households – 3919

Note: A family of two or more and single folks are each considered a single household. This is one of the most important financial health metrics that we consistently monitor. When it comes to giving, the Bible teaches us that it’s not the amount that counts, but the motivations and attitude that accompany the sacrifice (2 Corinthians 9:7). The number of giving households indicates the number of people whose hearts are actually connected to Jesus and His mission through Mars Hill Church (Matthew 6:21). In the first year of the church we had a very small handful of households donate financially, and it is very encouraging to see the number of giving households well over 4,000. Expenses

• 2007 Total Operating Expenses – $9,069,342
• 2006 Total Operating Expenses – $6,349,742

As is the case with most large churches, our largest expenses are payroll and facility costs, making up almost 75 percent of our budget. In addition, Mars Hill gives 10 percent of its income to other churches and ministries through the Acts 29 Church Planting Network. We are deeply committed to expanding the influence of the Gospel by helping to start other churches that will "pay it forward" and go on to invest in other churches. Financial Controls Mars Hill Church has extensive financial policies and internal controls that guide our budgeting, spending, reporting, and overall financial management. One of those controls is our annual external audit, which is performed by an external CPA firm. This year’s audit resulted in the "highest evaluation possible according to Generally Accepted Accounting Practices." Note: The audit covers a fiscal year, so our last audit covered the period of July 1, 2006–June 30, 2007. 2008 Plans With the continued care of our existing church body and the growth of our five and soon to be six campuses, there are several things we would encourage you to pray about for Mars Hill in 2008. It is our desire to see Mars Hill Church (both the church as an organization and each of us individually) continue to faithfully steward our resources in order to see more lives transformed by the power of the Gospel. That transformation includes the growth and maturity of all of us that already call Mars Hill home and those that have yet to experience the grace and truth of Jesus, our good and glorious King. It is a humbling privilege to see and experience life transformation in our midst. We invite you to continue to pray for the church as we seek to lift up and honor the name of Jesus. Please Pray For:

• Continued maturity and faithfulness for all of us at Mars Hill, in our worship of Jesus and the sacrifices He calls us to make for the sake of the Gospel.
• For those that don’t yet know Jesus but will be impacted this year by those that do, and by the ministry of Mars Hill.
• That we would make budget for the twelfth year in a row in 2008, and that it would continue to happen through an army of faithful men and women working together for the common good of Jesus.
• For wisdom and discernment in regards to the complexity of caring for and planning for a large church spread throughout the city.
• For those that benefit from the ministry of Mars Hill through technology and the resources made available online.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, here are some additional resources you may want to take advantage of.

• Pastor Mark’s sermon "Joy in Poverty"
• Pastor Jamie’s Gospel Class lesson on Stewardship (MP3)
• Financial Coaching Ministry (for those that attend Mars Hill) – This ministry helps people put together a basic budget and financial plan. Email money@marshillchurch.org for more information.
• If you have any questions regarding the church finances, please contact giving@marshillchurch.org

How Can I Give At Mars Hill?

• Check or cash in a secure giving box located at the church entrance.
• Check or cash in an offering basket during service. If you wish to use an envelope, you can find them attached to the secure giving box at the church entrance.
• Mail a check to the Ballard Campus: 1401 NW Leary Way, Seattle, WA 98107. Contact the office if you would like some self-addressed envelopes.
• Online contributions can be given via debit or credit cards using our secure giving website located at www.marshillchurch.org.
• Automatic payments through ACH can be set up – e-mail giving@marshillchurch.org for more information.
• Donation of stock is also an option – e-mail giving@marshillchurch.org for more information.